


Listens like spring and talks like June

by Croatoanvirus2014



Category: Runaways (Comics)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-29
Updated: 2016-02-29
Packaged: 2018-05-24 00:32:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6135307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Croatoanvirus2014/pseuds/Croatoanvirus2014
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set after Xavin leaves. Nico and Karolina talk out all their feelings for each other with mentions of Molly being a sweetheart (as usual tbh), and Klara also shows up</p>
            </blockquote>





	Listens like spring and talks like June

**Author's Note:**

> Song title shamelessly taken from the song Drops of Jupiter by Train bc it's a great song for both Karolina/Nico and also some other ships and yeah. I so wish there was even more fic for these two because I love them and they need more attention so I wrote a fic! I've decided to use they/them pronouns for Xavin because I didn't love how the comics handled their identity and I feel that using they/them pronouns is probably the best thing to do in this situation because they're genderfluid and that's what I thought would be the best idea as far as that goes (I'm cisgender however and if any non-cis person has a differing opinion on what would be best, please comment below and I'll definitely take the comments into account and there's a 99% chance I'll change it within a day). Anyways, hope you enjoy this fic!
> 
> EDIT: Slight rewrite of the very end as of 3/1/16, but I felt it was probably needed

            Karolina was crushed. Xavin had ultimately decided to give themselves up to the Majesdanians to make sure Karolina was safe and still on Earth. Molly, bless her heart, had tried to comfort her by giving her a huge hug and a cookie she had bought from the store earlier.

            “I was gonna eat it, but you look sad so I think you need it more,” Molly had said, “Besides, chocolate chip is your favorite kind of cookie!”

            Karolina just smiled while tears threatened to spill any second.

            “Thanks, Mol’, you’re the best. You should get some sleep though, it’s getting late,” She replied before giving Molly a kiss on the forehead and sending her off to bed.

            Seconds after Molly left, Karolina couldn’t help but sob. Though her relationship with Xavin wasn’t typical, it was still theirs, and she always felt loved and wanted around Xavin, which was what really mattered. It didn’t matter that she was a literal alien, or that she had superpowers, or that Xavin could shape shift at their will. All that mattered was that Xavin loved her, and now they were just gone. So now, Karolina was curled up in their hideout in a ball on a couch that Victor had found a few weeks ago, and though some ice cream really would’ve done her some good at the moment, she didn’t have the energy to walk to the store. Of course, while thinking about Xavin, she couldn’t help but also think about Nico. Nico, the first girl she had ever fallen in love with. The one who had unintentionally broken her heart, but was still her closest friend she had ever had. Nico, whose hugs were the only thing that felt like home to Karolina after she found out what her parents were really doing. Though the adrenaline of running away from home was already enough, with Nico by her side it was nearly too much for her to handle at first, but she couldn’t care less.

            Karolina’s sobs started to quiet after a few minutes, and Nico took this as a sign that it would be okay to approach her.

            “Want to talk about it?” Nico asked in a near whisper.

            “What’s there to say?” She responded in between short breaths, slowly sitting up

            So Nico sat down next to her, and though she hated seeing Karolina like this, she was going to make sure she wasn’t alone. Karolina rested her head against Nico’s shoulder, and Nico just responded by lightly running her fingers through her hair, knowing that it was something that would help her calm down. Nico noticed Karolina’s breaths slowing down after what seemed like hours, and she let out a relieved sigh once she realized she had fallen asleep. Nico slowly removed herself from Karolina’s side and let her fall asleep on the couch as she gently placed a blanket on top of her, careful not to wake her up from the sleep she desperately needed. Just then, an idea came to Nico’s mind. After checking her phone for the time, she set out to find a store still open at eleven at night that sold ice cream. Eventually she found a convenience store that sold Karolina’s favorite ice cream flavor (luckily Rocky Road flavored ice cream was fairly common) and bought some, as well as a small bag of ice and a tiny plastic cooler so that way it would actually stay cold overnight (their newest hideout didn’t have a freezer, or really much of anything if Nico was being honest).

            Karolina woke up feeling well-rested the next morning. Near her, Molly was teaching Klara some handshake that Molly was insisting “is way cool and totally top secret”, and let a tiny smile escape while she stretched her arms, trying to fully wake up. She threw the blanket on the cool, concrete floor of their hideout, and realized her stomach was growling at her. Deciding she needed breakfast soon, she went to go wake up Nico, making sure to do it in the gentlest way possible, especially since Nico was most definitely not a morning person. After getting her up and asking if she wanted anything to eat, Nico told her that she had a “special surprise” for breakfast.

            “Oh really, and what would that be?” Karolina teased.

            Nico pointed at the cooler sitting next to her sleeping bag and told her to open it, and suddenly going outside late at night when it was only a little bit above freezing didn’t seem to matter as soon as she saw Karolina grin like a child again.

            “You didn’t!” Karolina exclaimed, pulling Nico in for a hug that lasted for mere seconds before she started devouring the ice cream. She hadn’t had ice cream in months, since they had always been on the run and didn’t really have much time to slow down and relax, but now she was enjoying ice cream while relaxing in their hideout, and she was happy.

            “Oh come on, what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t get you ice cream after what you’ve been through the past few days?” Nico replied, “And besides, you deserve to relax and be happy. I mean, we’ve been through a lot.”

            Karolina continued eating her ice cream while they both sat on top of Nico’s sleeping bag, Karolina lightly leaning against Nico’s side in comfortable silence. _This is how it always should’ve been,_ was the thought that crossed Karolina’s mind the second Nico wrapped her arm around Karolina’s waist. And then she realized the one thing she had been trying to forget for months now: she was still hopelessly in love with her best friend. _Friend. That’s all she is._

            “Hey, Nico,” Karolina started, “You’re the best.”

            “Yeah, yeah, I know,” Nico replied sarcastically while rolling her eyes, causing both of them to laugh.

            “Really though, this means a lot to me,” Karolina spoke after a few more minutes of quiet, “Thank you.”

            “You’re welcome,” Nico replied, “I’m just glad to see you smiling today.”

            Nico pulled Karolina in for a hug this time, and it was one of warmth and comfort as they both took a deep breath, Nico smelling the faintest hint of perfume that smelled like flowers as they pulled apart. It was at this moment that Nico realized just how close she was to Karolina, and couldn’t help herself from glancing down at her lips, wondering what it would be like to kiss her, for real this time. She had pulled away the first time, thinking it was a mistake, but now? She wasn’t so sure. _I’m sure she doesn’t feel that way about me, and I need to give her time to get over Xavin,_ Nico reasoned. Still, she couldn’t help but think _what if?_ She restrained herself to giving Karolina a quick peck on the cheek, figuring that could still be interpreted as platonic. Of course, it was at this moment that Molly and Klara decided to interrupt them.

            “Guys, I’m starving!” Molly whined as Klara giggled at this.

            “Alright, alright, let’s go get something for breakfast then,” Karolina told her. “Just give me a second, okay?”

            “Okayyyyy,” Molly pouted.

            “Come on, you still have to finish teaching me that secret handshake,” Klara replied enthusiastically. They went back to entertaining themselves while Karolina decided to talk to Nico, knowing that something had definitely changed between them. However, it was Nico that spoke first.

            “Hey, Karolina?”

            “Yeah?”

            “Remember when you kissed me, and I sort of pulled away?” Nico asked nervously.

            “How could I forget? But it’s fine, I mean, I guess I was the one assuming and it’s fine don’t worry,” were the words that tumbled out of Karolina’s mouth.

            “Well I’ve kind of been thinking things over because of that kiss and uh, I think maybe I like boys and girls, is that normal or?”

            “What’s not normal is me being an alien, or you having a magical staff that comes out of you whenever you bleed,” Karolina joked, lightening the mood, “But liking both boys and girls is completely normal, I promise.”

            Nico let out a sigh of relief before asking her next question. “Could I maybe possibly try kissing you? I mean, it’s totally fine if you say no because of the whole Xavin thing but just… I don’t know.”

            “I’m sure Xavin would’ve wanted me to move on, and I’m sure they knew they were most likely never going to see me again,” Karolina thought out loud, “And yeah, I think I might like that.”

            Within seconds, Nico’s lips were pressed gently against Karolina’s, both of them smiling into the kiss. Karolina hesitantly wrapped her arm around Nico’s waist, pulling her closer, almost not believing what was happening right now. Nico, the girl she had been in love with for what seemed like forever, was actually, really kissing her because she wanted to. Nico, whose lips were slightly chapped and tasted like the cherry Kool-Aid they had drank last night. She was kissing her slowly, and it was perfect and made her feel full of warmth even though it was nearly winter time. Nico couldn’t keep herself from grinning, and only pulled apart so that she could sit in Karolina’s lap as the kiss deepened, Nico slowly running her fingers through Karolina’s hair. Then the realization hit both of them simultaneously that they still needed to get breakfast, and both reluctantly pulled away.

            “We should probably, uh, go get some breakfast,” Karolina said.

            “Yeah, probably,” Nico replied before leaning in to give Karolina one more quick kiss, “And uh, I think I might just want to kiss you some more later,” She said with a blush spreading across her cheeks.

            “That sounds amazing,” Karolina responded with a small laugh, “Well, let’s go get something to eat. I’m sure Molly is getting more annoyed by the second.”

            “Yeah, probably,” Nico admitted.

            They walked to some library after breakfast, Karolina still in shock, but in a good way. She had never once thought Nico would actually be romantically interested in her, ever. She couldn’t deny that the kiss felt right, and that she wanted to be with her. Really, she had nearly always wanted to be with her, kissing her, messing with her jet black hair, their hands always finding each others’ when they were afraid or tired, and now, she truly realized, she could have all of this. During the kiss she hadn’t thought about anything besides how nice it felt, how right it felt, but now, after having time to think, she could still not quite believe it herself how perfectly things were working out. Karolina was terrified that she could lose Nico like Chase had lost Gertrude, or that one day Nico would wake up and realize that maybe she was never in love with her, but for now, she was going to go for it. She was going to enjoy the time she had by spending it with Nico, and just hope for the best in a future that was never guaranteed. Nico pulled her out of her thoughts by grabbing her hand and dragging her to the back corner of the library. They both sat in a huge chair, bodies pressed up against each others’, and Nico pressed a gentle kiss to Karolina’s cheek, causing her to blush tremendously. And they stayed there, the silence comfortable between them as they saw Molly and Klara in the distance picking books off the shelf to read (well, really it was just Molly picking books to show Klara). If they snuck in a few kisses while nobody was looking, well, nobody had to know.


End file.
